Ivanka Trump tamps down idea she would be 'dynamite' UN envoy

White House senior advisor Ivanka Trump listens during bilateral meeting between South Korean President Moon and President Trump on sidelines of UN General Assembly in New York. Picture: Carlos Barria/Reuters.

Washington - Ivanka Trump on Tuesday tamped down the suggestion her father could be poised to tap her as UN envoy, after President Donald Trump said she would make a "dynamite" replacement -- were it not for nepotism concerns.

"It is an honor to serve in the White House alongside so many great colleagues and I know that the President will nominate a formidable replacement for Ambassador Haley. That replacement will not be me," Ivanka tweeted.

Hours earlier, her president father abruptly announced the resignation of Ambassador Nikki Haley, who in a surprise move will step down at the end of this year.

"We are looking at numerous people," Trump told reporters at the White House, without ruling out hiring his daughter.

"Ivanka would be dynamite. It's nothing to do with nepotism. But I want to tell you, the people that know, know that Ivanka would be dynamite. But, you know, I would then be accused of nepotism."

Trump has raised eyebrows with his blurring of the lines between relatives, family businesses and official duties since he was elected in 2016.

Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner both work in the White House as high-level unpaid advisers. Among other duties, Kushner, an Orthodox Jew, is tasked with creating a Middle East peace plan.